Patent GB-694172-A (GB)
Title: Improvements in or relating to conveyor systems
IPC: B65G23/00
Filed: 1949-12-30
Abstract: 694,172. Explosive filling apparatus. CROWTHER, P. S., and IMPERIAL CHEMICAL INDUSTRIES, Ltd. Dec. 29, 1950 [Dec. 30, 1949], No. 33387/49. Classes 9(i) and 9(ii) [Also in Groups XXX and XXXVII] A conveyer system for feeding rigid bodies through a series of positions at which they are operated upon is arranged so that each body will only be moved forward when a space has been vacated for it by a preceding body and, in the case of a body being operated upon, only when the operation has been completed, and comprises a series of conveyers and pushers for transferring the bodies between successive conveyers or between conveyers and adjacent operating supports, which conveyers and pushers and the operating mechanisms are independently driven and controlled.by a series of detecting devices for signalling the presence of a body at a series of predetermined threshold positions in the system, through groups of mutually co-operative detector signal actuated relays, each group initiating the motion of one of said conveyers, pushers .or operating mechanisms only in response to the receipt of appropriate signals from all of a predetermined selection of said ,detecting devices, said selection overlapping from group to group and said groups of relays not being mutually exclusive in respect of individual relays comprised in them. As shown, empty metal detonating tubes 2 contained in carrying plates 3 pass down a gravity rollerway 10 into contact with an arm of a detector 20. This through a fluid operated fluid control unit 6 supplies fluid to a thruster 37 which pushes the plate 3 on to stationary endless conveyer 11 into contact with an arm of a detector 21. Detector 21 in turn causes driving motor 16 of conveyer 11 to start and also causes fluid operated outer door 42 of a masonry cell 52 to be opened. The plate 3 now contacts a detector 22 opening inner door 43 and closing outer door 42 and then contacts detector 23 causing motor 16 of conveyer 11 to stop and causing thruster 38 to transfer the plate to an operating table 1 where it contacts detector 24. The latter causes explosive powder to be inserted into the empty tubes on completion of which thruster 38 automatically makes a further movement to transfer plate 3 on to a stationary conveyer 12 where it contacts a detector 25 corresponding to the detector 21. By similar mechanism, excepting that two thrusters 39, 40 replace the thruster 38, the plate 3 is conveyed to a power press 4 in a masonry cell 43 and thence by similar mechanism to a further filling mechanism in a further cell (not shown), and to a further press in a further cell (not shown), and thence to a mechanism 5 in a masonry cell 54 for removing the detonator tubes 2 from the plate 3 and delivering the former down a shoot 56 while the latter pass to a conveyer 15 which by further control mechanism finally delivers them to a shoot 55. The control unit. 6 comprises mechanism for preventing following plates 3 from approaching too close to a previous one, for preventing more than one plate 3 being in a masonry cell at once when operations on the plate 3 within the cell are being carried out, for preventing the inner and outer safety doors from being opened during the operations, for stopping the associated conveyer if a door fails to open, for preventing a plate from being fed to a conveyer while the latter is conveying a previous plate, for preventing opening of an outer door while an inner door is open and vice versa, for stopping a powder filling machine if the supply of powder in it runs below a minimum level, and for stopping all operations in masonry cells 52, 53, 54 (and the two not shown), if access doors 57, 58, 59 (and the two not shown), are not closed.